West Chester Tops Bowie State, 109-97

Box Score

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Senior Troy Hockaday scored a career-high 29 points, and R.J. Griffin added 23, as host West Chester topped visiting Bowie State, 109-97, in a non-conference basketball game inside Hollinger Field House Tuesday evening.
 
West Chester (5-1), which has rattled off five straight wins after a season-opening loss, posted triple digits for the second straight game. It marked the first time in school history that the Golden Rams ripped off back-to-back 100-point outputs. Bowie State falls to 3-4 on the season.
 
It was also the most points the Rams have scored in a game since beating Wilmington (Del.), 109-76, in the 2002-03 season-opener.
 
West Chester, which led by as many as 29 in the game, went on a 26-5 run over a seven-minute span early in the second half that turned a close four-point contest (58-54) into a rout (84-59) with still well over nine minutes left to play in the game. The Golden Rams did it with its hot shooting from the field.
 
West Chester shot 54.1 percent from the field in the game (33-for-61), including 47.6 percent from beyond the 3-point arc (10 of 21) and 76.7 percent from the foul line (33 of 43). Bowie State matched the Golden Rams accuracy from the field and the line. But, its 26.1 percent from the 3-point line (6 of 23) was not enough to keep up with the Rams.
 
Hockaday powered the 26-5 run with 11 of his game-high 29. Tom Sharkey added all seven of his points on the night as well while Cory Blake poured in five. The Golden Rams converted three traditional 3-point plays during the stretch. Hockaday finished the evening 9 of 14 from the field and 8 of 12 from the line. He also contributed a team-best six assists.
 
Blake scored 18 points for the Golden Rams, and Eddie Mitchell posted 19 as West Chester put four players over 17 points in the game.
 
Bowie State was led by Ray Gatling, who had 20 points. Zafir Williams scored 19, David Golladay posted 18 and Cameron Knox added 17 for the Bulldogs.
 
West Chester jumps back into conference play on the Wednesday after Thanksgiving with a road trip to Millersville for an 8 p.m. tipoff.